Karnataka: Congress launches campaign against BJP’s unfulfilled manifesto promises

BENGALURU: Accusing BJP of failing to fulfil 90% of the promises listed in its manifesto for the 2018 assembly elections, Congress on Monday launched a ‘Do you have an answer, BJP?’ campaign and pose one question a day for the saffron party on its “failed” promises.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, who launched the campaign in Bengaluru on Monday, said: “BJP had made more than 600 promises to the people.Only seven months remain in its tenure, but it has not even begun work on implementing 91% of its promises. BJP has betrayed the people of Karnataka. ” He said, on the other hand, Congress fulfilled 158 of the 165 promises it made in its manifesto ahead of the the 2013 elections. Surjewala said some of the prominent promises BJP made included waiving farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh and providing women with smartphones. “Neither of them has been implemented. So, starting tomorrow (Tuesday), Congress will ask BJP a question a day on its poll promises and expose its lies to the people,” Surjewala said.
Siddaramaiah, opposition leader in the assembly, said BJP had been using communal issues to hide its failure on all fronts. “They [BJP] said farmers’ income would be doubled and reservation for STs would be increased to 7. 5%. Have these promises been fulfilled?” he asked. “That is why they are raking up issues pertaining to religion and food habits. We will expose them with our new campaign. ”
DK Shivakumar, KPCC president, said BJP’s manifesto “was a collection of lies”, and the saffron party hasproven it. “BJP has brought disrepute to Karnataka through its corruption and misrule,” he said.
Surjewala meets Muniyappa
Surjewala met veteran party functionary KH Muniyappa on Sunday. Speculation was rife that the former Union minister would quit Congress and join BJP following lengthy meetings with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and health minister K Sudhakar on Friday.
However, soon after the meetings on Friday, Muniyappa, who is peeved with state party brass for admitting two local leaders in Kolar — his former constituency — into Congress without consulting him, had clarified that he has no plans of leaving and that his meeting with the CM pertained to development of Adi Jambava Mutt.
On Monday, both Surjewala and Muniyappa said they have been family friends for years and insisted that their meeting was a personal one.